Dop stick



June 6, 1967 cs. M. STOUT 3,323,259

B0? STICK Filed Oct. 28, 1964 INVENTOR 625/101! M 6'7'007 iQ /K w ATTOP/VEV United States Patent 3,323,259 DUI STICK Glenn M. Stout, 2000 Argonne Drive, Minneapolis, Minn. 55421 Filed Oct. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 407,089 2 Claims. (Cl. 51229) This invention relates broadly to the art of grinding, polishing, and engraving gem stones and more particularly to a device for supporting a gem stone during the grinding, polishing, and engraving operations of such gem stones.

Accordingly, the principal object of this invention is to provide a set of hand tools for supporting and holding a gem stone of varying sizes while a dapidary is grinding, and polishing such gem stones.

A further object of this invention is to provide a dop stick set that will accommodate the most popular shapes and sizes of gem stones for grinding and polishing of the same.

Another object of this invention is to provide .a dop stick set that will facilitate the grinding, sanding, polishing, free-forming, and unusual shaping of gem stones by virtue of the comparatively small diameter of the dop head relative to the supporting shank and its handle member.

A further object of this invention is to provide a dop stick that will assure accurate leveling and true center axis rotation for the precision forming, grinding, and polishing of the said gem stones.

A further object of this invention is to provide a dop stick that eliminates the contaminating of grinding wheels, sanding cloth, and buffs with dop wax.

A further object of this invention is to provide a dop stick having rneans embodied in its metal dop head wherein the thermal inertia retained by the said metal dop head affords a greater bond between the said dop head and the gem stone mounted thereon for grinding [and polishing operations.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a dop stick having a handle member the upper end portion of which is of a substantially reduced diameter relative to the main body portion thereof.

These :and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following specification and claims when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings which forms a part of this application and in which drawing, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the following devices and combination of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the subject dop stick held by the hand of an operator and with .an unfinished gem stone mounted thereon.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the subject dop stick, an exaggerated quantity of dop wax, and the unfinished gem stone to be supported by the said dop stick, and,

FIG. 3 is an elevational fragmentary view of the dop stick on .an enlarged scale showing all of the elements of FIG. 2 in assembled relation for use in the grinding and polishing of the gem stone.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, the numeral 4 will hereinafter identify a trimmed gem stone that is the subject of ensuing grinding and polishing operations while supported by the dop stick hereinafter identified :as an entirety by the numeral 5. The dop stick 5 comprises a handle member 6, the upper end portion of which is inwardly tapered to provide a substantially reduced diameter thereof relative to the main body porice tion of said handle member 6. This handle member 6 affords a mounting station for a metal dop head 7 having an integral metal shank 8 that has engagement with the handle member 6 to which it is rigidly secured. The upper face of the dop head is provided with a plurality of concentric circles 9 formed therein to afford an exceptionally strong bond between the face of the dop head 7 and the underside 10 of the gem stone 4.

In making use of the invention, and to secure the gem stone 4 to the face of the dop head 7, the said dop head 7 is heated over an alcohol flame, not shown, or its equivalent, and a small portion of dopping wax 11 is applied thereto and permitted to melt thereby applying a relatively thin layer of dopping wax 11 to cover the face of the dop head 7 and fill the interstices therein formed by the plurality of concentric circle 9 in the face of the dop head 7.

Thermal inertia imparted to the metal dop head 7 and its shank 7 by the heat of said flame, is generally ufiicient to maintain the melted dopping wax 11 in a flowable condition for such time as may be necessary to apply and center the gem stone 4 relative to the dop head 7, and when the same is applied to the gem stone it will sufficiently heat the same to provide adequate wetting of the wax interposed between the gem stone and dop head.

It is important to note again at this point that the subject invention comprises a plurality of dop sticks 5 having dop heads 7 of various sizes and in making use of the invention, the lapidary should select a dop head 7 that will be approximately 50% smaller than the finished size of the gem stone 4 to be mounted on said dop head 7. It may be necessary, however, in some instances to readjust and insure proper bond, the gem stone 4 relative to the dop head 7 and to do so it is only necessary to reheat the stone thereby transmitting the heat from the heat source to the dopping wax 11 to again render the same slightly flowable thereby permitting movement of the said stone relative to the dop head 7.

When the gem stone 4 is finally properly leveled and centered to the satisfaction of the lapidary, the entire assembly is set aside in an upright position to cool after which the gem stone is ready for grinding and polishing operations.

To remove the finished gem stone 4 from the dop head 7 after the grinding and polishing operation is complete, the same may be accomplished either by applying heat to release the dopping wax bond or by refrigeration of the same and tapping the gem stone lightly to separate the same from the dop head 7. It is also noteworthy that eX- cess dopping wax 11 may be removed from the dop head .7 by means of subjection of the same to freezing te-mpearture by refrigeration and in thense chipping the dopping wax 11 free.

For the purpose of this application particularly in FIG. 2, the bonding agent, dopping Wax 11, which affords means whereby a gem stone is secured to a dop head 7 for grinding and polishing operations has been illustrated in a generally exaggerated manner. This has been done in the interest of clarity in this exploded view and it will be understood that in actual use the amount of dopping wax will be governed by the size of the gem stone and the specific dop head 7 selected to support the same for the intended purpose.

While there are herein disclosed but a limited number of embodiments of the structure, process and product of the invention herein presented, it is possible to produce still other embodiments without departing from the inventive concept herein disclosed, and, it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations be imposed on the appended claims as are stated herein or required by the prior art.

What I claim is:

1. A dop stick for supporting a preformed or trimmed gem stone to be ground and polished to a finished gem, comprising in combination, a metallic dop head having a plurality of relatively shallow concentric rings formed in the upper face thereof, said dop head having inwardly sloping side portions forming an obtuse angle terminating in a relatively long metallic shank, a handle member for rigidly supporting the dop head and its shank, said handle member at its upper end portion having a substantially reduced diameter relative to the main body portion of said handle member, and bonding mean in the form of a wax to be reduced to a flowable condition by applying heat to the said metallic dop head and its metallic shank whereby the said gem stone is affiXed and positioned on the upper surface of the dop head while said bonding means is in a flowable condition- 2. A dop stick for supporting an unfinished gem stone to be ground and polished to a finished gem, comprising a metallic dop head having a front face with a plurality of relatively shallow-cricular rings therein to confront the unfinished gem stone for attachment thereto, a handle for supporting the dop head, a relatively long metallic shank securing the dop head to the handle and having a substantially reduced diameter relative to said dop head, and bonding means in the form of a thermal setting material changeable under influence of heat into a fiowable condition on the front face of the top head and attachable to the unfinished gem stone.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,940,107 12/1933 Stichler.

2,668,400 2/1954 Bacchi 51219 2,73 5,246 2/1956 Ponting 51229 3,125,836 3/1964 Printz 51-229 HAROLD D. WHITEHEAD, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DOP STICK FOR SUPPORTING A PREFORMED OR TRIMMED GEM STONE TO BE GROUND AND POLISHED TO A FINISHED GEM, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A METALLIC DOP HEAD HAVING A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELY SHALLOW CONCENTRIC RINGS FORMED IN THE UPPER FACE THEREOF, SAID DOP HEAD HAVING INWARDLY SLOPING SIDE PORTIONS FORMING AN OBTUSE ANGLE TERMINATING IN A RELATIVELY LONG METALLIC SHANK, A HANDLE MEMBER FOR RIGIDLY SUPPORTING THE DOP HEAD AND ITS SHANK, SAID HANDLE MEMBER AT ITS UPPER END PORTION HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED DIAMETER RELATIVE TO THE MAIN BODY PORTION OF SAID HANDLE MEMBER, AND BONDING MEANS IN THE FORM OF A WAX TO BE REDUCED TO A FLOWABLE CONDITION BY APPLYING HEAT TO THE SAID METALLIC DOP HEAD AND ITS METALLIC SHANK WHEREBY THE SAID GEM STONE IS AFFIXED AND POSITIONED ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE DOP HEAD WHILE SAID BONDING MEANS IS IN A FLOWABLE CONDITION. 